Around Home and Farm: Seedlings available

The Greene Soil and Water Conservation District Office ( GSWCD) is offering tree seedlings for sale through March 2, 2018. This is a great place to obtain 1-4 year old seedlings or 5&6 year old transplants for use in windbreaks, timber plantings, wildlife and other conservation uses.

For more details contact the GSWCD office at 937-372-4478 ext. 8123 or visit www.co.greene.oh.us/329/Soil-Water-Conservation and scroll down to “Tree Sales”. Their address is 1363 Burnett Drive.

Money workshop

If you have been putting off working on your estate plan this is a great opportunity to start. The 2018 it’s My Money! My Stuff! My Life! Program is set 6-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 and Tuesday, Mar. 6, 13, 20, 27 at the Xenia Community Center 1265 W. Second St.

Program details and registration can be found on the Greene County Council on Aging website or you can request to have it e-mailed/sent by contacting the Council at 937-376-5486 or www.gccoa.org.

Register by Feb. 19 and the cost is $40 per household which includes handouts and refreshments. Area professionals will cover topics including wills, advanced directives, assets, trusts, probate & taxes, insurance, Medicare & other health insurance. This is a great opportunity to do something for yourself and your family. The speakers are there to help you not to sell you something.

Fair dates

The dates of the Greene County Fair are July 29-Aug. 4.

Plant added to the invasive list

The Ohio Dept. of Agriculture recently updated their list of Invasive Plants and for the first time included the cultivar Bradford Callery Pear (Pyrus calleryana). Under the law invasive plants are defined as plant species that are not native to Ohio whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm, or harm to human health as determined by scientific studies. This ruling prohibits the sale and distribution of invasive plants in the state of Ohio.

Bradford Callery Pear has been planted for many years in landscape plantings and is a tree which does have an attractive appearance. However there are problems with this plant including the dense growth and weak tight crotches associated with the branches which lead to broken limbs and trees blown over or split.

It is also susceptible to fireblight disease. The tree has been over planted in recent years and many growers have gone to the better cultivar Chanticleer which has stronger branches and is longer lived.

The unique part of this addition to the Invasive Plant list is the Bradford Callery Pear is added to the Invasive Plant list effective Jan. 7, 2023 to allow growers to transition to other plants. For more information on the Invasive Plant List go to www.agri.ohio.gov/ and to “Programs” and then to “Plant Pest Control.” Scroll down to Invasive Plants.

By Jerry Mahan

Jerry Mahan is a retired OSU Extension Educator Agriculture and Natural Resources for Greene County. He can be reached by email at mahan.2@att.net.